The present invention relates to a connection blade, an intermediate connection electrical connector having the connection blade, and a connection blade assembly.
Patent Reference has disclosed a conventional connection blade for connecting two electrical connectors and an intermediate connection electrical connector having the connection blade.    Patent Reference: United States Patent Publication No. US2010/0184307A1
It is known that a method of differential pair signaling using two transmission paths as one pair allows signals to be transmitted at higher speed and noise to be reduced. Further, when the connection blade has signal wirings in a form of a plurality of the differential pair thereon, it is also known that a cross pair and a straight pair are arranged alternately in order to minimize crosstalk between the pairs next to each other. Patent Reference discloses the conventional connection blade described above. It is necessary to match lengths of transmission lines or path lengths between the straight pair and the cross pair so that the straight pair and the cross pair have equal electrical characteristics. In Patent Reference, the straight pair obtain the same path length with the cross pair by having a wavy shape portion through almost an entire length thereof.
In Patent Reference, the straight pair having the wavy shape portion has a far different shape from that of the cross pair having a straight line shape in most part thereof. Therefore, the straight pair and the cross pair in Patent Reference have impedance considerably different from each other. Further, when the connection blade has a small dimension in an extending direction of the signal path, that is, both of the straight pair and the cross pair has a small path length, the straight pair may not have the path length matching the cross pair if only having the wavy shape portion. When the straight pair and the cross pair are formed, by any means, to have the same path lengths with each other, the wavy portion of the straight pair needs to have a higher wave height. As a result, the straight pair requires a relatively larger region of the connection blade on which to be arranged. Therefore, when the connection blade has a number of the straight pair and the cross pair arranged thereon, the connection blade has the dimension considerably large in a direction the straight pair and the cross pair are arranged.
Furthermore, when an element (a wire path) forming the straight pair and the cross pair are formed by punching out a metal sheet, both of the straight pair and the cross pair require respective moldings since the straight pair and the cross pair have the shapes far different from each other. In addition, it is necessary to supply the molding having a blade with a complicated wavy shape for the straight pair.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a connection blade capable of solving the problems of the conventional connection blade, an intermediate connection electrical connector and a connection blade assembly including the connection blade. More specifically, a straight pair and a cross pair arranged on the connection blade have shapes which enables to share the molding for punching out and are capable of minimizing difference of impedance therebetween.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.